With Tony Beck succeeding his mentor, Randy Jepson, as the new head coach at Penn State Men's gymnastics program, Beck shows his profound gratitude for his mentor.

As the 35 years of leadership role come to an end for Randy Jepsen at Penn, Tony Beck acknowledges the weight of taking over the powerhouse program. He shared his appreciation for Randy's mentorship role, which shaped his career.

Tony Beck addressed in his message to Jepson, “I’m forever grateful to Randy Jepson, my coach and mentor, for bringing me to Penn State and for giving me the opportunity to grow within this program as a coach and leader.”

Beck's words highlight the full-circle moment in Happy Valley, as both share a deep decade-long history at Penn. Their relationship started as coach-athlete, turning to coaching partners.

Under the guidance of Jepson, Beck finished sixth in the NCAA championship on high bars in 2013 and helped the team secure fourth position in the finals.

In 2015, Beck assisted Jepson in coaching the Nittany Lions for the Big Ten Team Championship. The powerful coaching duo together captured the 2019 Big Ten title again and secured the program’s first-ever regular-season conference title in 2025.

While these historic milestones alongside Jepsen helped Beck lay a solid foundation for his promotion, Beck also expresses his gratitude to his administration.

Addressing the Vice President of Penn athletic program, “I want to thank Pat Kraft for his belief in me and the opportunity to lead this program.”

Beck's commitment to the program comes from his days of competing in the same arena where it all began as a gymnast for the university.

Beck's standout years on the floor

A native of Pennsylvania, Tony Beck started his career by competing for the Lehigh Valley Sports Academy. He finished sixth on floor exercise and eleventh in the all-around competition at the Visa championship at the junior level.

On the national stage, Beck consistently improved as an elite, as in 2010 he finished fourth on parallel bars and continued that momentum in the 2011 NCAA Championship, finishing ninth on pommel horse. His performance peaked in the 2013 senior campaign by achieving sixth place on the high bars.

Beyond his individual achievements, he helped the Nittany Lions finish back-to-back third place at Big Ten Championships in 2010 and 2012. His career peaked when he drove his team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship in 2013.

His history as a Blue and White competitor makes his new role as head coach more rewarding as he proves that the best leaders are those who have conquered the same floor and now manage it.

Read more at the Gymnastics Digest!

Written by

Sebi Mehta

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason